2 02 1 F O R D F-1 5 0 R A P T O R ~ BY M I K E S U T T O N
the numbers
A Dinosaur Evolves Suspension upgrades keep the Ford F-150 Raptor relevant in a Ram 1500 TRX world�
It’s not lost on Ford that the 702-hp
Ram 1500 TRX stole some of the F-150 Raptor’s swagger. The V-8powered Raptor R that’s coming soon may reset the order of things, but until then Ford is rolling out a 450-hp Raptor built on the updated F-150 that debuted last year. Think of it as the first strike in a counterattack. Bombing across a desert requires more than just horsepower. You need a suspension that can absorb punishment, and the new Raptor ditches rear leaf springs for progressive coils. In addition to saving a claimed 40 pounds of unsprung mass, the coil setup improves the
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THE RUNDOWN
ride and the wheel control. To attach the live axle to the truck, the Raptor gets four links and a Panhard rod. Up front, the control-arm suspension benefits from new geometry and fortified uprights, lower ball joints, and wheel bearings. Front and rear anti-roll bars are softened, and Ford fits Fox’s latest Live Valve adaptive dampers, which have internal-bypass chambers and a 3.1-inch-diameter body. Suspension travel is increased to 14.0 inches in front and 15.0 inches at the rear— roughly an inch more at both ends than the outgoing model. Those wheel-travel specs are measured on the standard 35-inch
Vehicle Type: front-engine, rear/4wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door pickup Base �������������������������������������� $65,840 Engine: twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, port and direct fuel injection Displacement ��������������� 213 in3, 3496 cm3 Power �������������������������� 450 hp @ 5850 rpm Torque ���������������������� 510 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm Transmission: 10-speed automatic Dimensions • Wheelbase �������������������������������������� 145�4 in • L/W/H ��������������� 232�6/86�6/79�8–80�7 in • Curb Weight ���������������������������������� 6200 lb Performance (C/D est) • 60 mph �������������������������������������������� 5�3 sec • 1/4-Mile ������������������������������������������ 14�0 sec • Top Speed ������������������������������������� 105 mph EPA Fuel Economy • Comb/City/Hwy ��� 15–16/14–15/16–18 mpg
BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 tires. On offer is a massive 37-inch KO2, which Ford says is the tallest rubber ever fitted to a half-ton production pickup. But what the big-tire Raptor loses in wheel travel (about an inch), it gains in ground clearance (13.1 inches versus 12.0) and
PHOTOG RAPHY BY JAMES LIPMAN ~ NOV EMBER 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVE R
